This is my monthly roundup of books that were added to my shelves in the last month. I also share an update with you on other things going on in my life.

Family and Life Updates

December was crazy busy with school, concerts, and getting ready for the holiday season. I’m so thankful our daughter was still able to perform in concerts and dance at basketball half-times. Finding ways to keep a routine in this “new normal” is tough, but I so appreciate how our school district is making it a priority for our kids.

Christmas was a bit different for us, but we enjoyed, for the first time ever, an entire day at home on Christmas day. We usually rush through the morning and then head to my parents for the rest of the day, but our family decided that each sister would take a day and see our parents with just their own families. So, we went on Monday and it was so nice to have one on one time with them. The kids and my mom played games, I made supper and it was a perfect evening.

I finished my nearly four-month stint in the world of teaching English. There were some days where I wasn’t sure I would survive it, but I did and I am a better person for it. Teaching during a pandemic is no joke and I hope you have shown appreciation for all the teachers in your life. I’m happy to go back to just being a regular sub in our district, subbing for the day and not worrying about grading and lesson planning.

Even though 2020 was certainly a difficult year for many of us, I have preferred to find the joy in the year. There were many blessings and things to be thankful for and I prefer to remember the great things about 2020 rather than lament the bad. I’m certainly excited for all that 2021 has to offer our family including lots of great reading ahead!

As a side note: I’m joining Gretchen Rubin in her #Read21in21 goal for this year. It is just a goal of reading 21 minutes every day. It doesn’t seem like much but actually reading 21 minutes every day will help you reach your reading goals and maybe even encourage you to read MORE than 21 minutes! So far, I’m 6 for 6 and the minutes really do fly by! For more info and to download your own calendar to mark off the days, click, HERE.

Be sure to follow me on Instagram, HERE to see snippets of what I’m reading or what’s going on in my daily life.

If you have missed any of my recent book reviews, you can see all of them by clicking, HERE.  Or you can stay up to date with my monthly Quick Lit Roundup.

If you choose to make a purchase through any of the links I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.

First I’ll start with books I received as gifts this Christmas

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MISTER ROGERS

Important Things to Remember

By: Fred Rogers

Published: January 1, 2010

Publisher: MJF Books

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

I got this lovely little book from my cousin for Christmas. I grew up watching Mr. Rogers and loved him. It’s a perfect book to add to my reading room.

A timeless collection of wisdom on love, friendship, respect, individuality, and honesty from the man who has been a friend to generations of Americans here are few personalities who evoke such universal feelings of warmth as Fred Rogers. An enduring presence in American homes for over 30 years, his plainspoken wisdom continues to guide and comfort many. The World According to Mister Rogers distills the legacy and singular worldview of this beloved American figure. An inspiring collection of stories, anecdotes, and insights-with sections devoted to love, friendship, respect, individuality, and honesty, The World According to Mister Rogers reminds us that there is much more in life that unites us than divides us. Culled from Fred Rogers’ speeches, program transcripts, books, letters, and interviews, along with some of his never-before-published writings, The World According to Mister Rogers is a testament to the legacy of a man who served and continues to serve as a role model to millions.

THE CHICKEN SISTERS

By: KJ Dell’Antonia

Published: December 1, 2020

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Fiction

Format: Paperback

My BFF gifted this to me for Christmas. I hadn’t even heard of this book. It sounds like a quirky, fun read and we will be reading it together.

In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s have spent a century vying to serve up the best-fried chicken in the state–and the legendary feud between their respective owners, the Moores and the Pogociellos, has lasted just as long. No one feels the impact more than thirty-five-year-old widow Amanda Moore, who grew up working for her mom at Mimi’s before scandalously marrying Frank Pogociello and changing sides to work at Frannie’s. Tired of being caught in the middle, Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. . .

The last thing Brooklyn-based organizational guru Mae Moore, Amanda’s sister, wants is to go home to Kansas. But when her career implodes, Food Wars becomes her chance to step back into the limelight. Mae is certain she can make the fading Mimi’s look good–even if that pits her against Amanda and Frannie’s. With a greedy producer stoking the flames, their friendly rivalry quickly turns into a game of chicken. Yet when family secrets become public knowledge, the sisters must choose: Will they fight with each other, or for their heritage?

BIG FRIENDSHIP

How We Keep Each Other Close

By: Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman

Published: July 14, 2020

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Non-Fiction

Format: Hardcover

My BFF also gifted me this book on friendship.

A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul.

Now two friends, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, tell the story of their equally messy and life-affirming Big Friendship in this honest and hilarious book that chronicles their first decade in one another’s lives. As the hosts of the hit podcast Call Your Girlfriend, they’ve become known for frank and intimate conversations. In this book, they bring that energy to their own friendship—its joys and its pitfalls.

An inspiring and entertaining testament to the power of society’s most underappreciated relationship, Big Friendship will invite you to think about how your own bonds are formed, challenged, and preserved. It is a call to value your friendships in all of their complexity. Actively choose them. And, sometimes, fight for them.

THE WORLD AT 10 MPH

A Masterful Prenup Leads to a 3-Year 33,523-Mile Bicycle Adventure

By: Ward and Jacky Budweg

Published: July 17, 2020

Publisher: Lioncrest Publishing

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

These Iowans have quite a story of their bicycle adventures. My mom gave me this book for Christmas. The couple lives in Decorah, Iowa, and my mom purchased this book from one of my favorite little bookstores, Dragonfly Books in Decorah. My mom also got this book for my cousin, so I’m hoping we will read it together.

When Ward and Jacky Budweg decided to get married, Jacky put together a prenuptial agreement on a bar napkin—and included a unique stipulation. For better or worse, Ward agreed to a 3-year bike trip around the world. As the two embarked on a journey spanning 1,106 days and 6 continents, they had unforgettable moments, such as almost being blown off a mountain, getting chased by baboons, getting kicked out of hotels by Chinese police, dancing to accordion music at a Lithuanian farmhouse, and playing cricket in Slovenia.

In The World at 10 MPH, Ward and Jacky tell the fascinating stories behind their adventure—the kind you don’t get on a tour bus. They describe locations discovered by ditching the GPS, playing charades to bridge 32 different language barriers, and depending on locals who invited them into their homes and friendships. They share truths they discovered about themselves as they traversed 33,523 miles (and wore out 24 tires), from Ward’s values about hard work, honed by growing up on a farm, to Jacky’s willingness to accommodate, bred into her as the sixth of seven daughters. Through it all, they captivate, inspire, and provide invaluable information on how to take the planet by bike.

With humble humor and hard-won wisdom, Ward and Jacky show how they did it, what they saw, and what they learned, proving that stepping outside of your comfort zone is not only possible—but sometimes the best decision you could ever make.

Next are books I purchased for myself last month

A CULINARY HISTORY OF IOWA

Sweet corn, Pork Tenderloins, Maid-Rites, & More

By: Darcy Dougherty Maulsby

Published: August 1, 2016

Publisher: History Press Library Editions

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

I spotted this while perusing the book aisles at Target and decided to treat myself. I love these types of books that make me feel nostalgic and remind me of growing up.

Iowa’s delectable cuisine is quintessentially Midwestern, grounded in its rich farming heritage and spiced with diverse ethnic influences. Classics like fresh sweet corn and breaded pork tenderloins are found on menus and in-home kitchens across the state. At the world-famous Iowa State Fair, a dizzying array of food on a stick commands a nationwide cult following. From Maid-Rites to the moveable feast known as RAGBRAI, discover the remarkable stories behind Iowa originals. Find recipes for favorites ranging from classic Iowa ham balls and Steak de Burgo to homemade cinnamon rolls—served with chili, of course! Author Darcy Dougherty Maulsby serves up a bountiful history of tasty tradition.

ONE OF US IS NEXT

By: Karen M. McManus

Published: January 7, 2020

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Fiction/YA/Mystery

Format: Hardcover

I picked up this one at our school Scholastic Book Fair. I have ONE OF US IS LYING but still need to read it. This is the sequel.

A ton of copycat gossip apps have popped up since Simon died, but in the year since the Bayview four were cleared of his shocking death, no one’s been able to fill the gossip void quite like he could. The problem is no one has the facts.

Until now.

This time it’s not an app, though—it’s a game.

Truth or Dare.

Phoebe’s the first target. If you choose not to play, it’s a truth. And hers is dark.

Then comes Maeve and she should know better—always choose the dare.

But by the time Knox is about to be tagged, things have gotten dangerous. The dares have become deadly, and if Maeve learned anything from Bronwyn last year, it’s that they can’t count on the police for help. Or protection.

Simon’s gone, but someone’s determined to keep his legacy at Bayview High alive. And this time, there’s a whole new set of rules.

HELP THANKS WOW

The Three Essential Prayers

By: Anne Lamott

Published: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Non-Fiction

Format: eBook

This was a free book choice from a Kindle Deal for me thanks to Kindle credits by choosing delayed shipping with Prime. I liked the idea of three simple prayers, Help, Thanks, and Wow.

Readers of all ages have followed and cherished Anne Lamott’s funny and perceptive writing about her own faith through decades of trial and error. And in her new book, Help, Thanks, Wow, she has coalesced everything she knows about prayer to these fundamentals.

It is these three prayers – asking for assistance from a higher power, appreciating what we have that is good, and feeling awe at the world around us – that can get us through the day and can show us the way forward. In Help, Thanks, Wow, Lamott recounts how she came to these insights, explains what they mean to her and how they have helped, and explores how others have embraced these same ideas. 

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY OF COYOTE SUNRISE

By: Dan Gemeinhart

Published: January 8, 2019

Publisher: Square Fish

Fiction/Middle-Grade Fiction

Format: eBook

I got this one for free on Kindle with credits. This one has been raved about by people who enjoy middle-grade fiction. I’m anxious to read it when I need a quick, easier read.

Five years. That’s how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, crisscrossing the nation. It’s also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished – the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box – she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days…without him realizing it.

Along the way, they’ll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there’s Gladys….

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all…but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after”.

Books I received for review

THE BOOK OF CAROLSUE

By: Lynne Hugo

Published: August 25, 2020

Publisher: Kensington

Fiction

Format: Paperback

I’m going in pretty blind about this book. It has been likened to A MAN CALLED OVE, which I loved.

CarolSue and her sister, Louisa, are best friends, but haven’t had much in common since CarolSue married Charlie, moved to Atlanta, and swapped shoes covered with Indiana farm dust for pedicures and afternoon bridge. Louisa, meanwhile, loves her farm and animals as deeply as she’d loved Harold, her late husband of forty years.

Charlie’s sudden death leaves CarolSue so adrift that she surrenders to Louisa’s plan for her to move back home. But canning vegetables and feeding chickens are alien to CarolSue, and she resolves to return to Atlanta–until Louisa’s son, Reverend Gary, arrives with an abandoned infant and a dubious story. He begs the women to look after the baby while he locates the mother–a young immigrant who fears deportation.

Keeping his own secrets, Gary enlists the aid of the sheriff, Gus, in the search. But CarolSue’s bond with the baby is undeniable, and she forms an unconventional secret plan of her own. How many mistakes can be redeemed?

THE PARIS LIBRARY

By: Janet Skeslien Charles

Published: February 9, 20212

Publisher: Atria Books

Historical Fiction

Format: Paperback

Librarians, WWII, and based on a true story! I’m in! Isn’t the cover also so gorgeous. WWII seems to be a popular book setting for the beginning of 2021. I have several books coming up set in that time-frame. But, I’m here for all of them!

Based on the true World War II story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris, this is an unforgettable story of romance, friendship, family, and the power of literature to bring us together, perfect for fans of The Lilac Girls and The Paris Wife.

Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet has it all: her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into Paris, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal.

Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.

A powerful novel that explores the consequences of our choices and the relationships that make us who we are—family, friends, and favorite authors—The Paris Library shows that extraordinary heroism can sometimes be found in the quietest of places.

THE PRINCESS SPY

The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones

By: Larry Loftis

Published: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Atria Books

Historical Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

This is also widely popular internationally and is just being published in the US. I love true WWII stories and this one sounds so fascinating.

When Aline Griffith was born in a quiet suburban New York hamlet, no one had any idea that she would go on to live “a life of glamour and danger that Ingrid Bergman only played at in Notorious” (Time). As the US enters the Second World War, the young college graduate is desperate to aid in the war effort, but no one is interested in a bright-eyed young woman whose only career experience is modeling clothes.

Aline’s life changes when, at a dinner party, she meets a man named Frank Ryan and reveals how desperately she wants to do her part for her country. Within a few weeks, he helps her join the Office of Strategic Services—forerunner of the CIA. With a code name and expert training under her belt, she is sent to Spain to be a coder, but is soon given the additional assignment of infiltrating the upper echelons of society, mingling with high-ranking officials, diplomats, and titled Europeans, any of whom could be an enemy agent. Against this glamorous backdrop of galas and dinner parties, she recruits sub-agents and engages in deep-cover espionage to counter Nazi tactics in Madrid.

Even after marrying the Count of Romanones, one of the wealthiest men in Spain, Aline secretly continues her covert activities, being given special assignments when abroad that would benefit from her impeccable pedigree and social connections.

Filled with twists, romance, and plenty of white-knuckled adventures fit for a James Bond film, The Princess Spy brings to vivid life the dazzling adventures of a remarkable American woman who risked everything to serve her country. 

EAT THAT FROG! FOR STUDENTS

22 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Excel in School

By: Brian Tracy with Anna Leinberger

Published: December 29, 2020

Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

I really like Brian Tracy’s principles and his “Eat that Frog” philosophy. I previously read his book, FIND YOUR BALANCE.

Adapted from Brian Tracy’s international time-management bestseller, Eat That Frog!, this book will give today’s stressed-out and overwhelmed students the tools for lifelong success.

Like adults, students of all ages struggle with how to manage their time. Encountering the necessity of time management for the first time, high schoolers juggle classes, extracurricular activities (all but mandatory for college admissions), jobs, internships, family responsibilities, and more. College brings even more freedom and less structure, making time management even more critical.

Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog! has helped millions around the world get more done in less time. Now, this life-changing global bestseller has been adapted to the specific needs of students. Tracy offers readers tips, tools, and techniques for structuring time, setting goals, staying on task (even when you’re not interested), dealing with stress, and developing the skills to achieve far more than you ever thought possible. This is the book that parents and teachers have long been wishing Tracy would write. 

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

12 Universal Rules

By: James A. Cusumano

Published: January 30, 2016

Publisher: Waterside Productions, Incorporated

Non-Fiction

Format: Paperback

I didn’t know anything about this book before it arrived in my mailbox. I think it is a perfect book for kicking off the new year.

James A. Cusumano has led many lives. Drawing on his successes as an entertainer, scientist, corporate executive, and entrepreneur, Dr. Cusumano shares his multifaceted guide to life-long success and personal fulfillment. This easy-to-follow guidebook, Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules, demonstrates how anyone can manifest into their life literally anything that leads to their long-term happiness and helps create a better world.

FATAL INTENT

By: Tammy Euliano

Published: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Fiction/Suspense/Thriller

Format: Paperback

Readers who like medical thrillers should add this to their list. An anesthesiologist starts questioning deaths after surgery and ends up launching her own investigation into these deaths.

End-of-life care—or assisted death

When her elderly patients start dying at home days after minor surgery, anesthesiologist Dr. Kate Downey wants to know why. The surgeon, not so much. “Old people die, that’s what they do,” is his response. When Kate presses, surgeon Charles Ricken places the blame squarely on her shoulders. Kate is currently on probation, and the chief of staff sides with the surgeon, leaving Kate to prove her innocence and save her own career. With her husband in a prolonged coma, it’s all she has left.

Aided by her eccentric Great Aunt Irm, a precocious medical student, and the lawyer son of a victim, Kate launches her own unorthodox investigation of these unexpected deaths. As she comes closer to exposing the culprit’s identity, she faces professional intimidation, threats to her life, a home invasion, and, tragically, the suspicious death of someone close to her. The stakes escalate to the breaking point when Kate, under violent duress, is forced to choose which of her loved ones to save—and which must be sacrificed.

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

By: Erika Robuck

Published: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Historical Fiction

Format: eBook

I’m already a fan of Erika Robuck and was thrilled to hear about her new book. It’s another WWII story about a woman spy. It seems to be the theme this year!

In the depths of war, she would defy the odds to help liberate a nation…a gripping historical novel based on the remarkable true story of World War II heroine Virginia Hall, from the bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl

France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn’t like the other young society women back home in Baltimore–she never wanted the debutante ball or silk gloves. Instead, she traded a safe life for adventure in Europe, and when her beloved second home is thrust into the dark days of war, she leaps in headfirst.

Once she’s recruited as an Allied spy, subverting the Nazis becomes her calling. But even the most cunning agent can be bested, and in wartime trusting the wrong person can prove fatal. Virginia is haunted every day by the betrayal that ravaged her first operation, and will do everything in her power to avenge the brave people she lost.

While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what–and whom–she’s truly protecting.

DEAD TO ME

By: Lesley Pearse

Published: February 18, 2021

Publisher: Agora Books

Historical Fiction

Format: eBook

Already published internationally it is now going to be published in the US. This is another WWII story of two girls and their friendship as WWII begins to affect all their lives.

Spring 1935.

Two girls meet by chance on Hampstead Heath. To an outsider, they could not appear more different. Verity is well-mannered and smartly dressed, living with her parents in a beautiful house close to the heath. Ruby is disheveled and grubby, used to a life of squalor where she is forced to steal to survive. Yet there’s an instant affinity between them, and when their fortunes are shockingly reversed, it is the strength of their friendship that keeps them resilient to the challenges and hardships they face.

As Britain prepares for war, Ruby finds herself in Devon with the world at her feet and enjoying her first taste of romance. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Verity is forced to leave behind everything she has ever known and a shadow from the past threatens her chances of a new beginning. But through it all, the girls are always there for each other.

Until the day Verity does the one thing that will break Ruby’s heart. In a country torn apart by fighting, will Verity and Ruby survive long enough to find a way back to each other? Or do some betrayals go with you to the grave?

UNDER A GILDED MOON

By: Joy Jordan-Lake

Published: December 1, 2020

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Historical Fiction

Format: eBook

I won this on Goodreads and was super thrilled because I had read a children’s picture book by Joy Jordan-Lake that I just loved, A CRAZY-MUCH LOVE. I am definitely intrigued by this rich vs poor story set around the Biltmore mansion.

From the bestselling author of A Tangled Mercy comes an enthralling novel of secrets, a tumultuous war of ideas, and murder as classes collide in the shadow of Biltmore House.

Biltmore House, a palatial mansion being built by the Vanderbilts, American “royalty,” is in its final stages of construction in North Carolina. The country’s grandest example of privilege, it symbolizes the aspirations of its owner and the dreams of a girl, just as driven, who lives in its shadow.

Kerry MacGregor’s future is derailed when, after two years in college in New York City, family obligations call her home to the beautiful Appalachians. She is determined to distance herself from the opulence she sees rising in the Blue Ridge Mountains, however close its reach. Her family’s land is among the last pieces required to complete the Biltmore Estate. But something more powerful than an ambitious Vanderbilt heir could change Kerry’s fate as, one by one, more outsiders descend on the changing landscape—a fugitive from Sicily, a reporter chasing a groundbreaking story, a debutante tainted by scandal, and a conservationist prepared to put anyone at risk to stoke the resentment of the locals.

As Kerry finds herself caught in a war between wealth and poverty, innocence and corruption, she must navigate not only her own pride and desperation to survive but also the temptations of fortune and the men who control it.

---

Children’s Books for Review

LET’S POP, POP, POPCORN!

By: Cynthia Schumerth

Illustrated by: Mary Reaves Uhles

Published: March 15, 2021

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Fiction

Format: Hardcover Picture Book

A fun kids’ book sharing how popcorn is grown all the way until you are eating a big bowl of it in front of the TV.

Told through exuberant rhyme, a group of children shows the step-by-step process of how America’s favorite snack comes about. Beginning with the planting of seeds, the cycle moves through the caretaking of the plant (watering and weeding), all the way to its harvest. Finally, it’s time to shuck, then pop the kernels, and enjoy the finished product! Complete with back matter that includes scientific facts and activities, Let’s Pop, Pop, Popcorn! offers a fun introduction to the process of creating popcorn.

LITTLE DANDELION SEEDS THE WORLD

By: Julia Richardson

Illustrated by: Kristin Howdeshell and Kevin Howdeshell

Published: March 15, 2021

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Fiction

Format: Hardcover Picture Book

The perfect picture book to welcome spring sharing how the seed of a dandelion travels on the breeze.

Did you know dandelions thrive on all seven continents? The cheery blooms are among the most resilient and adaptable in the world. In this lyrical book, learn how the crafty plant travels on the wind and hitches rides in all manner of ways in order to spread far and wide. Includes a map and backmatter on dandelions.

SCOOPER AND DUMPER

By: Lindsay Ward

Published: January 1, 2021

Publisher: Two Lions

Fiction

Format: Hardcover Picture Book

I’m already a huge fan of Lindsay Ward and can’t wait to share her newest children’s book with you. One of her books made my Favorite Books List from last year AND the year before! Her newest picture book makes for a perfect winter story since these two friends have to work together to help clean up a snowstorm.

The best of friends, Scooper the front loader and Dumper the snowplow take care of their town in all kinds of weather. One day a snowstorm hits, and the big city needs their help to clear the roads. Each of them must be brave in their own way to get the job done.

This wintry adventure spotlights the ideas of individual strengths, teamwork, and friendship in a vehicle buddy story that boys and girls alike will love.

SADIE SPROCKET BUILDS A ROCKET

By: Sue Fliess

Illustrated by: Annabel Tempest

Published: February 1, 2021

Publisher: Two Lions

Fiction

Format: Hardcover Picture Book

I was thrilled to receive another Sue Fliess book. She writes great children’s stories full of imagination! This one features a girl who dreams of going to Mars.

Sadie Sprocket is a girl with a big dream—to go to Mars! No one has been to Mars (yet!), so of course that’s where Sadie sets her sights. She learns everything she can about the planet and space, then assembles her crew of trusty stuffed animals. Together they build a rocket and prepare for the historic journey. And then finally—blastoff!

Sadie and her team make it to Mars, but what will they encounter when they leave the ship? And will they travel home safely as the world watches?

With cheery rhyming text and quirky artwork, this is a story about dreaming big and reaching for the stars. The book includes facts about Mars and women in space to inspire budding explorers everywhere. 

SARAH’S SOLO

By: Tracy Brown

Illustrated by: Paula Wegman

Published: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Kalaniot Books

Fiction

Format: Paperback Picture Book

A young Jewish girl has to miss her dance recital for a family wedding, but gains so much more.

Sarah is disappointed when she must miss dancing her solo at the upcoming ballet recital to go to her cousin’s wedding. But as she explores some of the Jewish customs at the wedding, she begins to realize how much her own culture’s traditions have to offer. Although not the delicate melodies of classical music and elegant movements of ballet, the hypnotic rhythms of the klezmer band and the energetic steps of the hora still transport her – and the reader – to another world. 

SOOSIE THE HORSE THAT SAVED SHABBAT

By: Tami Lehman-Wilzig

Illustrated by: Menahem Halberstadt

Published: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Kalaniot Books

Fiction

Format: Paperback Picture Book

This looks like a sweet story of a friendship between a boy and his horse and their joy of celebrating Shabbat.

Every Shabbat, Jacob and Soosie the horse, set out to deliver Ezra and Esther’s delicious challahs to their Jerusalem neighbors.

But what happens when Jacob is sick? Will everyone get their challah in time for Shabbat?

This heartwarming story highlights the friendship between a boy and a horse.

NOT SO FAST, MAX

A Rosh Hashanah Visit with Grandma

By: Annette Schottenfeld

Illustrated by: Jennifer Kirkham

Published: March 2, 2021

Publisher: Kalaniot Books

Fiction

Format: Paperback Picture Book

New traditions during a Rosh Hashanah for children and their Savta (grandmother) offers such a great reminder to celebrate time spent celebrating. There are recipes included in this book as well. A great way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah with your children.

When Max and Emily’s spunky Savta comes from Israel for a Rosh Hashanah visit, she’s got some surprises up her sleeve. Max just wants to hurry up and get started, but he learns that sometimes new traditions can be worth the wait. You can start your own Rosh Hashanah traditions using the delicious recipes included in the book.

---

Which one (or two or three) of these books will you be adding to your list?

To see all the posts featuring new books on my shelves, click HERE.

So many books, so little time!